Vitaliy Bernadskiy emerged triumphant in the 21st Bangkok Chess Club Open. The top seed Ukrainian GM scored an impressive 7.5/9 and tied for first place with Guha Mitrabha of India but came out on top thanks to a superior Buchholz.

The 21st Bangkok Chess Club Open, supported by the FIDE Aid Package, took place at the luxurious Sheraton Hua Hin Resort & Spa from April 14-21, 2024. Hua Hin, a popular resort town, has recently become a magnet for local tourists and Western retirees. 

This year, 335 participants hailing from 41 different countries have congregated in Thailand, making the BCC Open once more a staple of Asia’s chess calendar. While this number is not a record, what was remarkable about the 2024 edition is the sharp increase in players representing India. More than a hundred showed up in Hua Hin, representing the bulk of titled players in attendance.

The competition, a 9-round Swiss tournament was a very close race of the top seeds and a few upcoming youngsters with Bernadskiy grabbing the sole lead in the penultimate round. Coming into the final round a half-point ahead of a group of five players Vitaliy made a quick draw with Denis Makhnev, which was enough to clinch the title.

Only Guha Mitrabha (pictured below) managed to catch up with Bernadskiy to tie for first place after defeating young FM Reja Neer Manon of Bangladesh.

The latter became a tournament’s revelation, finishing seventh and picking up a whopping 121 rating points.

As many as four players tied for third place, with Denis Makhnev completing the podium thanks to a greater number of wins.

Final standings:

Complete standings

Photos: Bangkok Chess Club Facebook

Official website: bangkokchess.com/